Properly handling your baby’s food is very important. Since infants have a weaker immune systems that aren’t fully developed, things that wouldn’t necessarily affect us, like not washing our hands before we eat, can cause diarrhea, or disease in a child. Follow proper safety procedures when handling and storing your child’s food.

Make sure to wash your hands frequently when you are preparing your baby’s food of feeding him. Raw foods, petting animals, and changing diapers equals a breading ground for germs on our hands. Make sure to clean with hot soapy water.

Make sure that you clean preparation areas with hot soapy water also. You should use detergent to wash all items used to prepare or open your child’s food. Although it may seem tempting to reuse bottles and nipples, harmful bacteria grows in these hard to reach places. Boil nipples to make sure they are cleaned thoroughly.

When bottle feeding, less is more. Since baby’s spit inevitably leaks back into the bottle causing a breading ground for bacteria, use less milk or formula and refill more often. This will ease temptation for reusing the same bottles and you will feel less wasteful from having to dump half used bottles down the drain.

Never use milk or formula that has been sitting out for more than 2 hrs. When foods fall into a certain temperature zone, bacteria starts to grow. As adults, although we may not be affected, remember your child has a weak immune system.

Make sure any food you are serving your child is good and has not yet expired. Pay special attention to due dates and manufacturer preparation guidelines. Inspect formula and baby food jars for lids that have popped, rips or tears. Throw any tarnished food away.

In the same vain as using smaller bottles, dish out baby food from jars. As soon as you dip a used spoon into the jar, it is contaminated and should not be saved for future feedings. Dish small amounts onto a plate. If your child is still hungry, use more.

NEVER serve your child honey or syrup until they are at least six months old. Our immune systems are mature enough to prevent spores in these foods from growing once ingested, but children’s systems will not. These can lead to infant botulism.

Before introducing your child to solid foods, speak with your pediatrician. If you ever have any questions regarding safe food handling, your pediatrician will be able to offer you assistance. Always remember, if in doubt, throw it out. There is no sense in risking your child’s health or safety if you are unsure about anything.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edm s/fttbaby.html